rndani85

So, my surgery date is February 11th. It couldn't come soon enough. I'm currently on day 2 of drinking the Bariatric Advantage shakes. I've had 2 out of the 5 required shakes for the day. It was pretty rough to begin with, but it seems to be getting somewhat easier. I hope I can make it the next 2 weeks. I really want to stick to the regimen. It's just challenging since the shakes are "meal replacements" and I'm not supposed to eat anything. Argh. It's especially hard because everyone at work is taking their lunch breaks and eating actual food. I guess I never realized how preoccupied I was with food. Or maybe I'm just going nuts now because I can't have it. I just needed to let off a little steam as I sit in the break room while my coworkers have lunch :/ I actually feel somewhat better. Almost time for another shake. Yippy ki yay!!

Today marks a week since I've been back at work. It wasn't bad at all. I dreaded going back, but at the same time, I was ready. I could tell in my legs that I hadn't been as active the past few weeks. It felt good to get going again, though. I went to my first office visit. I lost sixteen pounds in two weeks. Yeehaw. I took that gladly, considering I hadn't lost that much weight in the past five years. Dr. Scott seemed genuinely happy for me. He gave me a congratulatory high five and said I was doing great. I go back to see him again March 14th. After that day, I will no longer be eating pureed foods and I'll be cleared to start resistance training. I'm super excited to get back to pumping Iron. I'm going to start working my way towards CrossFit! I know that ain't no joke, so I'm going to need lots of conditioning, ha. I also registered for a 5k called the Color Run. It looks like all sorts of fun. It's going to be on April 6th. I'll definitely take pics. My first fitness milestone post op! As far as hunger goes, I have no appetite. If I hear someone talking about a particular food or see someone eating something, my mind automatically says "Hey, that's a good idea!" That's about as close to cravings as it gets for me. I don't miss the insane, uncontrollable cravings for sweets that I used to get. They were a force to be reckoned with. Life is getting a little more close to normal day by day. I'm definitely looking forward to the experiences 2013 has in store for me!

Yessss! I love Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives! It seriously DOES help because even though you can't eat those things, you're getting to watch someone else eat them.

I'm one month post op. Same issues here. I see someone with food and I want it. Sometimes I dwell on a mental craving and try to remember how a certain food tastes and smells. Since it's your mind that's hungry, feed it. It actually seems to help. Luckily for me, cravings pass way faster than they used to.

Dr. Scott in Rome, Ga.

Gloryyyy glory hallelujah!! This has been my best day thus far. I can't imagine how great I'll feel a month out. I'm definitely excited about the future. More so now than ever. My steri strips were so loose, I took them off. Not bad, Dr. Scott I'm all scabbed up and itchy. That's a good thing. I did a much better job of getting my water in. Not all the way, but 75% there. I'll grab tomorrow by the horns!

Today I got behind the wheel again. I even put on a pair of blue jeans. My size 20s are fitting much more loosely now. Feels great. Now that I can eat/drink with little to no discomfort, I have to continually remind myself to do so slowly. Sometimes I just pick up my water bottle and take a huge gulp as if nothing's changed. Then, I'm reminded by a huge SPLAT in my stomach that things have changed a little. I was tempted to get on the elliptical today, but I didn't want to do things too quickly. I decided if I tolerated driving today, then tomorrow I would give the elliptical a go. I'm sure it will be an exhilirating 2 minutes, haha. I've tried to give an accurate blow by blow of the first week post op. Hopefully it was helpful. It certainly was better than I'd ever imagined. I was fortunate to have an uneventful recovery. I'm going to try to blog weekly from here on out. I'll be going back to work February 25th, so my busy lifestyle will resume. Yippy.

I took 2 weeks off work. I'm an rn. I do a lot of heavy lifting and pulling throughout the day. If I had a desk job, I would have been able to go back after 1 week. That's just based on how well my recovery went. Good luck on your journey!

Wow! You are totally rocking recovery! It feels so good to get back to normal. I am a registered nurse I'm a floor nurse on a surgical specialty unit. It too is absolute madness. I am really sad that this is my last week off work. I was definitely wondering the same thing you are. I may double up on my B12, haha! I do know that I will not be lifting over 15 lbs for a month. I'm thankful to be on that weight restriction, because as you know our jobs require lots of lifting and pulling. I return to work Feb. 25th. I'll keep you posted on how things go.

Thanks, Sue!

I woke up feeling so much better today, it was unbelievable. I made the mistake of eating 3 bites of a scrambled egg in under 5 minutes. Ohhhh, the pain. I guess I was pushing my luck a little, huh? I took a shower and had my niece drive me to Walmart so I could grocery shop. I could tell I was pretty fatigued. I moved slow, but completed my grocery list. Once I got home, I pureed sweet and sour chicken lean cuisine. I found a method that really worked for me. Eat a teaspoon every five minutes. I managed to get 5 teaspoons in. Thankfully the discomfort that comes with eating post op has died down a lot. I'm averaging 1-2 naps per day, but I'm feeling better each day. I look forward to what tomorrow holds. The best feeling ever is waking up to the realization that you have a cleared schedule for the next two weeks. Who knows, I may even get rid of the dark circles (from lack of sleep) beneath my eyes!

I'm not gambling. I'm following doctor's orders. I didn't just go out and pick some Joe Schmoe surgeon. I've taken care of his patients (general surgery and bariatric) for 5 years now as a registered nurse. His work speaks for itself. I feel 100% safe following his orders. Like I said, surgeons do things differently. Follow the instructions your surgeon has given you.

Yes, he did! I was clear liquids the day of surgery only. He advanced me to pureed foods. I will remain on pureed foods for the first month post op. If I'm cleared by the surgeon at my one month mark, I get to advance to soft solids. I will remain on soft solids until the end of my second month post op. At the end of that second month, if he clears me, I will be advanced to regular food. Oh what a joy that will be! Different surgeons do things differently. You should definitely follow the advise of your surgeon.

I'm starting to get the hang of this! I'm not in any pain whatsoever and the soreness is almost completely gone. What a relief. I didn't even require a nap today. The best part of the day was when I was able to lie on my tummy for a bit and watch tv. I'm a stomach sleeper. Oh, how I've missed it! The challenge I have met today is getting in my H2O. Not drinking 30 mins before or after a meal is easy enough. Unless you're trying to eat 5-6 meals per day. I guess I should start getting up before 10 am to make this goal more achievable. I was able to have 4 meals with 2 yogurt snacks in between. My H2O intake was shy by about 40 oz. Yowza. I'm gonna have to get this thing by the reigns. I'm definitely on the up and up. I can't wait to get to the gym!

It's harder than you think it will be, yet easier at the same time. You will do fine! Your pre op journey is going to breeze by. Good luck!

Contrary to what I'd thought before surgery, having the sleeve was NOT a breeze. I awoke with horrible nausea that took hours upon hours to get under control. I wish the anesthesiologist had listened to me when I told him I had a history of post op n/v The gas pains were far worse than any of the incisional pain. Walking did relieve most of that for me. I went home the next day around 1pm. I really wish I had a hospital bed here at home! Those side rails were a gift from God! I have a really tall bed, unfortunately. I find that lying on my sides is easier than lying on my back, but I'm unable to get comfortable no matter how I lay. I can't wait until all this soreness goes away so that I'm able to sleep like I did before! As far as food goes...bleck. I haven't been able to get 6 small meals in yet. It still sort of hurts when I drink or eat something. I'm looking forward to being one week out. Maybe then things will be better.

I can't believe it's almost here. I have done the best I could with the pre-op shakes. I feel like a failure almost because I couldn't drink as many as recommended. A week and a half in I had to swap over to sugar free Carnation Instant Breakfast because the meer sight of the Bariatric Advantage shakes made my mouth salivate in preparation for vomiting. I am so ready to get it over with. I don't even feel anxious or scared. That may change when I'm stripped down to nothing but a gown lying on the stretcher waiting. All I can say is viva la Versed! I was told in pre-op that I had to stay in the hospital gown the first day. Good luck with that happening. I don't care how many holes they put in me or how doped up I am, as soon as I roll up to the floor, my pajamas are going on! I see myself being the patient nurses dream of. Out of bed and walking by 4 hours post-op, urinating on my on accord (without being cathed), and requiring minimal pain medicine. We shall see.

Awesome! Good luck to you as well!

Thanks Annabelle!